How Much Are Justin Trudeau’s Words On Reconciliation With First Nations and Fighting Climate Change Really Worth?

A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large –

Posted January 9th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Police moving in to arrest Indigenous protesters during protests this past Decembers over plans to build tar pipeline across First Nations lands in British Columbia.

While Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was preparing a statement this January 8th about strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities across the country, federal police forces in British Columbia were busy arresting Indigenous people protesting plans to build pipelines for transporting climate-disrupting toxins from Alberta’s tar sands across First Nations lands.

Something is terribly wrong with this picture, and all of the platitudes from this Prime Minister about closer relations with Indigenous people and about fighting climate change are growing quite thin while arrests like this are being made and while the PM’s own government invests more than $5 billion on buying and building pipelines that major bank investors in other parts of the world will no longer support of Indigenous people

Now here is a Statement released this January 8th, 2019 from the Office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau –

Ottawa, Ontario –The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement today(this January 8th) after meeting with Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations:

“Today, I had the honour to meet with leaders of Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations for a second time to strengthen our unique and enduring relationship.

“We talked about last year’s accomplishments toward self-determination, including the new fiscal policy we drafted together with Self-Governing First Nations. This new policy is just one example of our commitment to do things differently and redefine our relationship—working nation-to-nation to meet the actual needs and priorities of Indigenous peoples.

“These reforms are also about more than just funding—they are about Canada living up to its promises and obligations under treaties and self-government agreements, and Indigenous communities continuing to demonstrate the success that comes from self-governance.

“In the past year, we have also worked together toward reforming child and family services so that kids stay with their parents and communities. Later this year, we will introduce new legislation to help preserve, promote, and revitalize Indigenous languages.

“While we have achieved a lot together, we have a lot more to do. That is why meetings like the one today are critical, and why we have made it a priority to meet every year. Today, we identified how we can best advance key priorities to strengthen the implementation of modern treaties and self-government agreements. We also talked about the Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations’ other priorities for action on reconciliation.

“There is no relationship more important to the Government of Canada than the one we have with Indigenous peoples. I thank our partners from Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations for meeting today and sharing a desire to build a better future for generations to come. I am confident that today’s discussions will bring even greater progress and create positive and lasting results for Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations.

“We recognize that when our relationships are based on the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership, we deliver better results for everyone—stronger communities, healthier citizens, thriving cultures, and greater economic success. Modern treaties and self-government agreements are true examples of reconciliation in action.”

NIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space following the Bernie Sanders quote below.

A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who also share their first and last names.

For more news and commentary from Niagara At Large – an independent, alternative voice for our greater bi-national Niagara region – become a regular visitor and subscriber to NAL atwww.niagaraatlarge.com .

“A politician thinks of the next election. A leader thinks of the next generation.” – Bernie Sanders